Shield or guard for protecting soldiers.



No. 660,700,. Pgtented Oct. 30, I900. A. HITT.

SHIELD 0R GUARD FOR PROTECTING SOLDIERS.

' (Application filed Apr. 18, 1898. Banewed Apr. 9, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 sheets-Sheet I.

. x I I l I WITNESSES; \3 v I i/ a I fi I A TTO/PNEY.

Patented 0m. 30, I900.

A. HITT SHIELD 0B GUARD FOR PROTECTING SOLDIERS.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 189B. Renewed Apr. 9, 1900.)

2 Sheefs-Sheat 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADRIAN HITT, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO HENRY BERG -OF ORANGE VALLESZ-N-EWJERSEY.

SHIELD OR GUARD FOR PROTECTING SOLDIERS.

srnexrrcn'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,700, dated October so, 1900.

Application fil d April 18, 1898. Renewed April 9, 1900. Serial No. 12,041. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADRIAN HITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of J ersey City, in the county of Hudson and State -of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shields or Guards for the Protection of Soldiers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in shields or guards for the protection of -soldiers, more particularly infantry, during a battle or engagement; and it consists of a wheeled vehicle adapted to be drawn and moved by a horse and comprising between the x 5 wheels a guard or shield of upper and lower diverging plates behind which the soldiers, as well as the horse,'will be protected and through suitable port-holes in which the firing will be conducted.

made the subject hereof will appear in full hereinafter and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which a Figure l is a top view, partly broken away,

of a carriage or vehicle embodying the invention, the shafts for the horse being shown in their outward position by dotted lines and their inward position by full lines. Fig. 2-is an enlarged detached top view of a portion of 3"- the front end of the vehicle and is presented more particularly to illustrate the means for connecting the shafts to the front swivelwheel. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section of same on the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of a portion of the carriage or vehicle on the dotted line 4 at of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the carriage or vehicle on the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A ll respectively designate the wheels and axle of the vehicle, and O D, respectively, the oppositely-diverging plates carried by said axle and-which constitute the shield or guard proper. The axle B passes freely through the beam E, to which.

the upper end of the lower plate D is applied, as indicated in Fig. 3. The lower plate D inclines downward and forward at a suitable angle to deflect downward to the ground any bullets that-may strike it, and at its lower edge said plate D has hinged to it the plate Thenature and details of the guard or shield F, which during an engagement will rest directly upon the ground, as shown by full lines in Fig. 5, and at other times will be held upward in the position in which it is illustrated by dotted lines in said figure. The plate F aids very materially in the protection of the feet of the soldiers from bullets which might strike close to the lower edge of the plate D or strike a stone and start to be deflected upward just below the edge of the plate D. The plate F will ordinarily he stood upon by the soldiers during action and is for their-protection. The upperedge of the lower guard-plate D will be bent upward and forward to engage the lower inner surfaces of the upper guard-plate 0, whose lower edge will be bent or flanged downward to lap upon the upper rear surfaces of the lower plate D, and thus the meeting portions of the plates 0 D overlap one another and are secured together, and a very substantial structure is thereby formed; The plate 0 inclines upward and forward at asuitable angle to deflect upward any bullets that may strike it. The plates 0, D, and F are secured together and mounted to receive their support from the, beam E, and said plates and beam may together he turned on the axle B in order that said plates may be turned into the position in which they are shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, which will he the position of said parts when the device is not in actual use to protect the soldiers, When the plates 0 D F are in their upper position, (shown by dotted lines,) they will be there supported by hooks and eyes G from the side bars H H, which extend frontward from the ends of the axle B and are connected at their front ends by the plate I, to which the front swivel-wheel J is connected. The plates 0 D are connected together and strengthened by the stays K, extending along the inner surfaces of said plates from the upper edge of the plateO to the lower edge of the plate D, as shown, and between these stays K the adjoining portions of the plates 0 .I) are slotted to form port-holes L, through which the soldiers shielded by said plates may fire.

The swivel-wheel J has its stem passed upward through a sleeve M. carried by the plate I, and upon its upper end said stem is pro- IOOL \ided with the plate N, having the head and slot P. The slot P receives the pin Q, connected with the plate R, which is pivoted on said plate I and provided with a head S, substantially corresponding with the head 0 on the plate N.

The shafts T for the horse have the central hinged link V, by which said shafts are connected to the vehicle and which is adapted to fit over either the head 0 on the plate N or the head S on the plate R, said link being shown on the head 0 in Fig. 2 and-on the head S in Figs. 1 and 5. To more securely fasten the link V on the heads 0 8 there is provided a pin WV, (see Fig. 2,) which passes through a hole in the head above the link and has a neck (1-, which turns down over that portion of the shafts between the two side members of said link, this neck portion of the pin XV serving to prevent the pin from jarring from the head. When the link V is on the head 0, the plate R will perform no function, and said link at such time will serve as the medium through which the shafts T may turn the plate N and'swivel-wheel J, as indicated in Fig. 2. The link V will always be placed on the head 0 of the plate N when the ve hicle is to be drawn from place to place; but in the event of an engagement or battle and after the vehicle is in about the desired position, with the rear-surfaces of the plates 0 D facing the enemy, the link V, and thereby the shafts T, will be detached from the head 0 of the plate N and attached upon the head S of the plate R, as shown in Fig. l, the horse being brought within the inclosure formed by the side bars H H, as indicated in Fig. 5, in order that he may be protected by the plates C D and also be enabled to shift the position of the vehicle from time to time, as occasion may require. When the link V and shafts I are connected with the head S of the plate R, the movement of the horse to the right or left will cause the plate R to turn and effect, through its pin Q, and the slot P of the plate N, the axially revoluble motion of the swivel-wheel 'J. Thus the horse while between the side bars H 11 may be utilized for shifting the position of the vehicle in any direction desired without exposing himself to the fire of the enemy.

The plates 0', D, and F extend from Wheel to wheel and afford an extensive area of protection without interfering with the duties of the soldiers shielded by them. During the usual travel of the vehicle the plates 0, D, and F will be turned to their upper position, and when the said plates are to be used as a shield they will be turned to their lower position.

The side bars H H may, if found desirable, have a seat in swung from them.

The plates C D may be in one integral piece, if desired, without departing from my invention.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

be protected; substantially as set forth.

2. The shield or guard comprising the inclined plates 0, D, and having the port-holes, the pivotally-mounted beam located at the junction of said plates and on which said plates are mounted, and the plate F hinged to the lower edge of the plate D and adapted when turned downward to rest upon the ground and aid in preventing bullets from reaching the feet of the soldiers to be protected, combined with the wheels at the ends of said beam and mounted on an axle, and traction means for drawing the shield or guard; substantially as set forth.

3. The shield or guard comprising the inclined plates 0, D, the wheels, the axle, and the traction-bars H, combined with means pivotally sustaining said plates relatively to said traction-bars H, whereby said plates may be given a limited oscillatory motion to adjust them into working position and may also be turned to elevate the plate D clear of the ground when the shield or guard is not in ac tual use; substantially as set forth.

at. The shield or guard comprising the inclined plates 0, D, and having the port-holes, and the beam at the juncture of said plates with one another and on which said plates are mounted, combined with the axle passing freely through said beam and allo ing the said beam and said plates o be turned axi: ally thereon for adjustment when in use and for convenience of traveling when not in use, and the wheels mounted on said a'xle; substantially as set forth.

5. The shield or guard mounted .on wheels and comprising the inclined plates 0, D, and the plate F, the lower edge of the plate D substantially reaching the ground, and the plate Fextending inward from the lower edge of the plate D in position along the ground to be stood upon by the soldiers during action; substantially as set forth. 1 6. The shield or guard comprising the wheels, axle and plates 0, D, combined with 7 the side bars H, H, connected with said axle, the swivel-wheel at the front end of said bars, the shafts T, and means for connecting said shaft's'To said swivel-wheel from within the inclosure' formed by said side bars; substantially as set forth.

7. The shield or guard comprising the wheels, axle and plates 0, D, combined with the side bars H, H, connected with said axle, the swivel-wheel at the front end of said bars, the plate N on the stem of said swivel and having the slot P, the plate R having the pin Q, in engagement with said'slot, the shafts T,

and means for connecting said shafts with said plate R; substantially as set forth.

8. The shield or guard comprising the wheels, axle and plates 0, D, combined with the side bars H, H,'conneoted with said axle,

the swivel-wheel at the front end of said bars, the plate N on the stem of said swivel and having the head 0 and slot P, theplate R having the pin Q and head S, the shafts T, and the link V secured to said shafts and adapted to pass upon either the head 0 or head S; substantially as set forth.

9. The shield or guard comprising the Wheels, axle and plates 0, I), combined with ADRIAN Hi'r'it Witnesses:

CHAS. O. GILL, E. J AS. BELKNAP. 

